Harvey Road Pre - School

Harvey Road Pre-School St Michael & All Angels Church, Rowlands Road, YARDLEY, Birmingham, West Midlands, B26 1AT

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 14/10/2014 17/12/2009

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 2 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

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This provision is good

 Children are happy and settled in this welcoming and supportive pre-school because the staff are sensitive, caring and kind. They fully support children as they begin at the setting and as they move on to school.  Staff provide a wide selection of resources and activities around the large hall, so that children have good opportunities to make their own choices in play. As a result, children are happy, busy, enthusiastic and confident learners.  Staff have a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities in relation to child protection and safeguarding children. Consequently, children are well protected and kept safe from harm.  The pre-school is managed very effectively, with a strong emphasis placed on monitoring and evaluating the provision. This means that the manager is very clear about how to promote continuous improvements and enhances the outcomes for children's learning and care.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Staff have not established successful strategies to engage parents in sharing information about children's learning achievements at home. Therefore, there is scope to further strengthen partnerships with parents and improve continuity in learning.  Staff do not successfully organise transition times between sessions to ensure there is a continual flow of learning experiences.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections of registered early years provision are:  scheduled at least once in every inspection cycle – the current cycle ends on 31 July

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Information about this inspection

 scheduled more frequently where Ofsted identifies a need to do so, for example where provision was previously judged inadequate  brought forward in the inspection cycle where Ofsted has received information that suggests the provision may not be meeting the legal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage or where assessment of the provision identifies a need for early inspection  prioritised where we have received information that the provision is not meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and which suggests children may not be safe  scheduled at the completion of an investigation into failure to comply with the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in the indoor and outdoor learning environments and accompanied staff and children on a walk in the local area.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the manager, staff and children at appropriate times throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records and planning documentation and a selection of policies and procedures.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of the suitability and qualifications of the staff working with the children.  The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day.

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Information about the setting

Harvey Road Pre-School was registered in 1994 and is on the Early Years Register. It operates from the community centre adjoining St. Michael's and All Angels Church in the Yardley area of Birmingham. There is an enclosed area available for outdoor play. The setting is open each week day, from 9am to 3pm, during school term time. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 59 children attending who are in the early years age group. The setting provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. It supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The pre-school employs 11 members of staff. Of these, 10 hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3.

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To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

 explore further strategies to involve parents in their child's learning, such as encouraging them to share home experiences and providing parents with ideas about how they can continue their child's learning at home

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To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

 improve learning experiences for all children by reviewing the way sessions start and finish so that there are opportunities for continual learning throughout the transition time.

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who attend

The enthusiastic and friendly staff provide the children with a rich and purposeful indoor environment that is organised so that they have access to experiences that span the seven areas of learning. Staff have high aspirations for all children and show a genuine desire to provide interesting and meaningful experiences. They use their secure knowledge and understanding of how to promote learning and development to good effect. Staff observe children and use this information to accurately assess their starting points. Observations are recorded in individual learning journals which are organised by areas of learning. Further assessments are scheduled at regular intervals, which enables staff to plan for the next steps in children's learning. As a result, children are provided with suitably challenging activities and are confident and motivated to learn. Staff's understanding of expected levels of development means they are able to identify any areas of concern

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who attend

promptly and work towards narrowing developmental gaps. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well monitored and supported. The nursery works well with other agencies, such as the local authority and speech and language therapists, to ensure that each child receives the adequate level of support needed.

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who attend

Partnerships with parents are developing well. A range of useful information is collected from parents as children start at the setting. Starting points for children's development are established using information from parents during settling-in sessions. This information helps children's key persons to get to know them quickly, supporting a smooth start to pre-school. Staff verbally share information about what children have been doing during the session. Further information is shared at weekly meetings when parents are invited into the pre-school. Parents spoken to on the day are pleased with the progress their children are making. However, staff have not established effective strategies for parents to share information about children's home experiences, in order to incorporate this into the planning. Furthermore, parents are not always given consistent support to continue their child's learning at home.

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who attend

The staff communicate with the children extremely well. They use meaningful conversation to engage with them as they play and show interest as they listen carefully, allowing plenty of time for children to respond. They encourage them to repeat new words to develop their breadth of vocabulary and ask a good range of open-ended questions so that children begin to think creatively for themselves. As a result, children become good communicators. Staff take children on a walk around the local area. They are gently reminded to take hold of a staff member's or friend's hand to help them on their journey. The children, therefore, learn to accept others and to think about others' feelings. Staff encourage children to observe shapes in the environment and they explore the area with excitement. Staff extend their early understanding of shape as they skilfully ask them questions about what they can see. For example, as children talk about houses and walls,

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who attend

staff ask children what shapes the windows and bricks are. Children answer confidently 'squares' and 'rectangles'. Staff promote other aspects of mathematics, such as teaching children to use number names in order through number rhymes and songs. Children with English as an additional language are well supported because the staff implement effective teaching strategies to support them in making good progress in their communication and language development. For example, as children get ready for outdoor play, staff use simple sign language to show they need to put on their coats and hats. Children show good control and coordination as they move confidently in the outdoor area and handle equipment and resources effectively. For example, children enjoy swirling hoops and hitting balls with bats. They challenge themselves to jump higher or run faster, always supported by staff who know when to intervene and when to let children attempt physical

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who attend

challenges independently. As a result, children develop their physical skills. The good range of learning experiences means that children are making good progress towards the early learning goals. This, and a positive attitude to learning, means they are well prepared for the eventual move on to school.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

The processes to help children settle into the pre-school are highly effective because the staff group is small and consistent. Staff cultivate a calm, warm and constructive environment. Children and parents quickly build strong and happy relationships with their key person as well as with other staff and children. Staff understand that they need to support children to build new friendships when older children leave to move on to school. The care and attention they provide supports children's social skills and helps to ensure they remain settled. This also has a very positive effect on children's ability to move to school successfully themselves as they are then capable of adapting to change. Consequently, all children have their emotional well-being successfully supported. However, as the morning session finishes and the afternoon session begins, children are less well supported by staff and there are times when they become restless. For example,

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

at the end of the morning session, all children sit together as a group as some children leave and others arrive for the afternoon session. This means that children who are attending the pre-school all day are left waiting for some time as other children leave and arrive. As a result, children become bored as they are not engaged in purposeful activity and do not benefit from a continual flow of learning experiences.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Staff provide stimulating, well-resourced indoor and outdoor environments that children can move freely between. The outdoor learning environment provides valuable opportunities for all children to get plenty of fresh air while being physically active. Children are showing a good awareness of their own safety as they learn how to assess and manage risks independently. They are encouraged to tidy up at the end of the session to keep the environment safe and minimise hazards. This helps children to develop a sense of growing responsibility, which helps them with their future learning. Staff are positive role models and use age and stage appropriate explanations to provide children with a clear knowledge of acceptable behaviour. Staff encourage children to share, and use praise and encouragement to value children's achievements. As a result, children's confidence and self-esteem are supported.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Children's dietary needs are well met. Parents provide packed lunches, and a wide range of fruits that the pre-school supplies are enjoyed at snack time. Children's self-care skills are developed as they manage their lunch boxes at meal times, skilfully pour their own drinks and peel their own fruit at snack time. Good hygiene practices are introduced to children through everyday routines. Children grow in independence as they have easy access to toilet facilities. They use the toilet and wash their hands in the sinks with confidence and younger children confidently ask for help if needed. This is good preparation for their transition to school. Children in nappies have their care needs met effectively through consistent routines throughout the day. Where children are identified as having special educational needs and/or disabilities the help and advice of other professionals is sought. This ensures their well-being is maintained and their needs are

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provision

All staff have a good understanding of their responsibilities regarding the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Staff have completed safeguarding training and demonstrate a good understanding about their role to protect children in their care. They have a strong knowledge of the procedures to follow should they have a concern about a child, or the conduct of a member of staff or the manager. All staff have paediatric first-aid training and they are confident in dealing with issues that may arise. Appropriate accident and medical records are in place and the information is shared with parents. Safety is promoted through robust arrangements for assessing any risks to children. Checks are carried out on a daily basis to identify any new risks and to ensure that the safety measures, which are in place, remain effective. Robust, safer recruitment and selection procedures are followed to help check that new staff and

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provision

students are suitable for their roles. Annual appraisals are undertaken with staff and regular supervision sessions ensure staff have a dedicated time to discuss any issues they have. Continual professional development opportunities are decided on effectively by providing training that meets the needs of individual staff and by providing group training to the whole staff team when necessary. This ensures that each member of staff is competent and that there is a shared knowledge, understanding and consistency within the nursery.

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provision

Staff are experienced, qualified and skilled in their interactions with the children. The impact of their good quality teaching results in children making good progress towards the early learning goals. They continuously strive to improve practice by using various tools to reflect on where improvements can be made, and by raising precise targets to achieve this. For example, the pre-school has received accreditation from the Effective Early Learning Programme which places particular emphasis upon evaluation, development and the improvement of quality and effectiveness. Staff, parents and children contribute to the evaluation process so that, collectively, they can accurately analyse strengths and identify clear targets for development. Staff gather evidence to show how these targets are achieved and most importantly look at the impact any changes have in supporting children to make progress. For example, during the recent evaluation, staff identified that there

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provision

was a weakness in the mathematical area of learning within the pre-school. As a result, staff increased their use of mathematical language and concepts in everyday routines and the children's progress in this area has improved greatly.

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provision

The manager closely monitors the effectiveness of the pre-school. She regularly checks children's files to ensure staff are keeping them up to date and planning effectively for children's next steps. Assessments of the children are collated and used to track children's progress from their starting points. The manager regularly reviews this information to further monitor children's progress and to identify any gaps in the development of specific groups of children. This helps to ensure no group is disadvantaged. Staff demonstrate that they understand the importance of working effectively in partnership with parents to meet the individual needs of their children. Parents provide information prior to their children starting at the pre-school. This enables them to share valuable initial information with staff, so they can effectively meet the individual needs of the children. Partnerships in the wider context are used to develop the quality of education. The pre-school links with other

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provision

professionals to help children with special educational needs and/or disabilities as the need arises. Staff realise the importance of early intervention for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and ensure that services are in place to support a child when they transfer to school. The pre-school is well aware of the importance of developing links with the other providers of the Early Years Foundation Stage where children attend more than one setting. They have links with local schools to support the exchange of information to meet children's needs and facilitate their move to school. Consequently, children receive strong continuity of care.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding Outstanding provision is highly effective in meeting the needs of all children exceptionally well. This ensures that children are very well prepared for the next stage of their learning. Grade 2 Good Good provision is effective in delivering provision that meets the needs of all children well. This ensures children are ready for the next stage of their learning. Grade 3 Requires improvement The provision is not giving children a good standard of early years education and/or there are minor breaches of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. We re-inspect nurseries and pre-schools judged as requires improvement within 12 months of the date of inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate Provision that is inadequate requires significant improvement and/or enforcement action. The provision is failing to give children an acceptable standard of early years education and/or

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Grade Judgement Description

is not meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected again within six months of the date of this inspection. Met There were no children present at the time of the inspection. The inspection judgement is that the provider continues to meet the requirements for registration. Not met There were no children present at the time of the inspection. The inspection judgement is that the provider does not meet the requirements for registration.

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Inspection

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children’s learning, development and care, known as the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 229124 Local authority Birmingham Inspection number 866420

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 5 Total number of places 33 Number of children on roll 59 Name of provider Vivienne Jones Date of previous inspection 17/12/2009 Telephone number 07976 165582

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Type of provision

set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.

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Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

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Type of provision

Full-time provision is that which operates for more than three hours. These are usually known as nurseries, nursery schools and pre-schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the higher fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Sessional provision operates for more than two hours but does not exceed three hours in any one day. These are usually known as pre-schools, kindergartens or nursery schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the lower fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Childminders care for one or more children where individual children attend for a period of more than two hours in any one day. They operate from domestic premises, which are usually the childminder’s own home. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Type of provision

Out of school provision may be sessional or full-time provision and is delivered before or after school and/or in the summer holidays. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. Where children receive their Early Years Foundation Stage in school these providers do not have to deliver the learning and development requirements in full but should complement the experiences children receive in school. achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children,

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Type of provision

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Type of provision

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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